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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. clip — for paper
  6. key — in music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. content — the amount
  18. rush — hurry
  19. clip — a video
  20. content — happy
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rock — music
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. clip — to cut

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