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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. key — in music
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mug — a cup
  9. face — part of the head
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. key — the most important part
  14. face — to point toward
  15. plane — a tool
  16. face — to confront
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mine — for digging
  21. hand — help
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mug — a face

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