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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. firm — decided
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. spell — magic
  9. season — of the year
  10. key — in music
  11. mate — a partner
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. firm — a company
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rush — hurry
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mate — to breed
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. firm — steady
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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