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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. snap — to click
  4. key — in music
  5. capital — money
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. capital — a city
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. suit — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. key — for a lock
  12. suit — clothes
  13. hand — in cards
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. hand — help
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. suit — to fit

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