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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mate — a partner
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. key — for a lock
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. sharp — clever
  11. key — in music
  12. kid — to tease
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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