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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. club — for golf
  3. lie — to recline
  4. key — for a lock
  5. plane — a tool
  6. key — in music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ball — a dance
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wound — an injury
  20. club — a group
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com