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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rash — hasty
  3. key — in music
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rash — a series
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lean — thin
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. degree — an amount
  18. dip — to sink
  19. roll — a list
  20. suit — clothes
  21. degree — from a university
  22. suit — to fit
  23. lean — to bend
  24. suit — in cards

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