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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kick — in football
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. key — the most important part
  8. row — a line
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. key — in music
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pitch — completely
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rest — a break

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