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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. perch — the fish
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. rock — music
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rock — a stone
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. key — in music
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. fall — to drop
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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