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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 120 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. squash — the sport
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. ground — a position
  12. key — in music
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. plane — a tool
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mark — a grade
  19. chip — to eat
  20. ground — crushed
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. chip — for betting
  24. wave — with your hand

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