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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. spell — letters
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. spell — a short time
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bear — the animal
  13. file — a document
  14. spell — magic
  15. land — a country
  16. file — a tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. land — ground
  22. saw — the tool
  23. land — to come down
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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