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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. chip — for betting
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. plane — a tool
  14. spell — a short time
  15. date — the fruit
  16. key — for a lock
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spell — magic
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. spell — letters
  23. race — humankind
  24. toast — the most admired

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