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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. branch — a division
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. suit — in cards
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. suit — clothes
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. sharp — clever
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rush — hurry
  14. snap — to click
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mine — for digging
  24. perch — for a bird

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