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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. snap — to click
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. bound — obliged
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bound — tied together
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bound — certain
  18. scale — 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