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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. kick — in football
  5. drill — a practice
  6. deal — to handle
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cap — a hat
  11. key — for a lock
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. hand — in cards
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cap — of ice
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cap — a lid
  20. drill — army training
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. drill — the tool

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