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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pop — to visit
  3. kick — in football
  4. pop — soda
  5. ground — the earth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. key — for a lock
  12. ground — a position
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. key — in music
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pop — music
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. net — for catching
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. ruler — for measuring

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