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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. object — a thing
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. kick — in football
  9. rock — music
  10. spell — letters
  11. object — an aim
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lean — to bend
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. lean — thin
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rock — a stone
  21. spell — magic
  22. object — to protest
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. spell — a short time

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