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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
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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 · tear · sharp · fan · field · rock · bay · key

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. field — farmland
  3. key — for a lock
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. key — in music
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. field — a subject
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rock — music
  17. field — for sport
  18. tear — from crying
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — a stone
  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