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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. key — in music
  4. chest — a box
  5. object — an aim
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. chest — of your body
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. key — for a lock
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. object — to protest
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mark — a trace
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. object — a thing
  21. spell — a short time
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mark — a grade
  24. spell — magic

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