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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · tube · bass · fan · mine · key · rash · plane

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mug — to rob
  6. tube — a container
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mug — a face
  11. bass — low music
  12. rash — a series
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. tube — the underground
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rash — hasty
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bass — the fish
  23. key — in music
  24. bass — the instrument

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