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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. key — the most important part
  3. drill — the tool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mine — for digging
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. present — there
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. key — in music
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. key — for a lock
  18. present — the time now
  19. mate — a partner
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. drill — army training
  23. mate — to breed
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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