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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rock — music
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cold — an illness
  6. key — the most important part
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. spring — the season
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bulb — for light
  15. key — in music
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. spring — a coil
  18. cold — not warm
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. suit — clothes
  24. spring — of water

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