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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bat — the animal
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pound — a weight
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. key — the most important part
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. spell — letters
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. snap — to click
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spell — magic
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. spell — a short time
  22. date — the fruit
  23. key — in music
  24. pound — to hit hard

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