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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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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: plane · hide · mouse · cabinet · board · key · firm · tear

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. key — in music
  6. tear — to rip
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. firm — a company
  9. board — to get on
  10. firm — steady
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. firm — decided
  15. plane — a tool
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. key — for a lock
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. board — a committee
  24. plane — an aircraft

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