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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. charge — in control
  3. craft — a skill
  4. charge — a price
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. rock — a stone
  7. charge — electricity
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bound — certain
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. rock — music
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. key — in music
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. key — for a lock
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. craft — boats
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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