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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.

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: key · plane · charge · spell · net · foot · lean · bass

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. net — for catching
  5. charge — electricity
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bass — the fish
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bass — low music
  10. spell — a short time
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. foot — a measure
  14. spell — magic
  15. charge — a price
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. spell — letters
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. charge — in control
  24. foot — the bottom

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