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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mate — to breed
  3. key — the most important part
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. key — in music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mate — a friend
  17. band — a ring
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. band — a music group
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fan — a supporter

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