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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. snap — to click
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. saw — the tool
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rock — music
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rock — a stone

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