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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bound — certain
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bound — tied together
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. key — in music
  14. track — a song
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bound — obliged
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. track — to keep track
  20. shower — rain
  21. track — a path
  22. key — for a lock
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to click

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