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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. charge — in control
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. kick — in football
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. charge — a price
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bowl — to roll

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