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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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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. key — the most important part
  3. spring — of water
  4. key — in music
  5. cue — a hint
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. clip — a video
  11. key — for a lock
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. clip — to cut

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