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

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. key — in music
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rock — music
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. foot — a measure

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