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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. race — humankind
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. swing — to play on
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. can — a tin
  8. hand — help
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hand — in cards
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. swing — in golf
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. key — the most important part
  17. race — a contest
  18. swing — music
  19. race — the arms race
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mouse — for a computer

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