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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.

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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: firm · key · mouse · craft · present · plane · stick · chair

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. key — in music
  5. present — a gift
  6. firm — steady
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. key — the most important part
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. firm — a company
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. craft — boats
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. present — there
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. present — the time now
  24. plane — in geometry

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