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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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pop — music
  6. spring — of water
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. spring — the season
  14. pop — soda
  15. can — a tin
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wake — a trail
  18. key — for a lock
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pop — to visit
  22. can — a tin
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wake — before a funeral

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