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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 124 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. key — the most important part
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rash — a series
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. season — of the year
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. key — for a lock
  10. season — in sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. object — to protest
  14. key — in music
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pop — music
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. object — an aim
  20. saw — the tool
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pop — soda
  23. object — a thing
  24. pop — to visit

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