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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.

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: rest · tube · deal · wake · sharp · plane · march · key

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. key — for a lock
  3. march — the month
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. sharp — clever
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rest — what's left
  8. march — the month
  9. tube — a container
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rest — what's left
  13. plane — a tool
  14. march — music
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rest — a break
  24. key — in music

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