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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 116 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rash — a series
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rash — hasty
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. field — farmland
  10. wake — a trail
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. key — in music
  15. field — a subject
  16. key — for a lock
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. field — for sport
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bass — low music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. leaves — lets stay

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