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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. key — the most important part
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. key — in music
  9. ball — a great time
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cap — a hat
  12. band — a music group
  13. lean — to bend
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tube — the underground
  16. band — a ring
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cap — a lid
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cap — of ice
  24. lean — thin

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