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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rock — music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rock — a stone
  6. spring — of water
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rush — hurry
  10. tear — to rip
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mark — a trace
  14. tear — from crying
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. spring — the season
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. key — in music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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