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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. key — the most important part
  3. object — an aim
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. spring — of water
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. band — a ring
  12. spring — a coil
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. key — in music
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. spell — magic
  19. object — to protest
  20. bulb — for light
  21. object — a thing
  22. spell — letters
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spring — the season

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