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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mark — a grade
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bat — the animal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. clip — to cut
  11. lie — to recline
  12. saw — the tool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. mark — a trace
  16. key — in music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — a video
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. saw — the tool

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