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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. key — the most important part
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bark — to shout
  6. branch — a division
  7. plane — a tool
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. key — in music
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. march — the month
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. march — music
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. march — the month
  24. hide — to keep secret

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