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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. object — to protest
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. march — the month
  5. land — a country
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. land — ground
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. march — the month
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. object — an aim
  19. march — music
  20. plane — a tool
  21. land — to come down
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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