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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.

Make a worksheet

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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. drill — a practice
  4. season — in sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. sharp — clever
  8. drill — army training
  9. key — for a lock
  10. tear — from crying
  11. season — of the year
  12. tear — to rip
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. tear — from crying
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. drill — the tool
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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