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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.

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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: wake · object · mate · plane · key · foot · firm · net

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. key — the most important part
  5. object — an aim
  6. key — in music
  7. firm — decided
  8. mate — to breed
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. net — for catching
  11. wake — a trail
  12. key — for a lock
  13. net — after costs
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. net — in sport
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. plane — a tool
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. firm — a company
  22. mate — a friend
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mate — a partner

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