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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fine — all right
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. key — in music
  7. fine — high quality
  8. pop — music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pop — soda
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mug — a face
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. land — a country
  18. mug — to rob
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mug — a cup
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. key — the most important part

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