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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bulb — for light
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. drill — the tool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bat — the animal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. drill — army training
  13. bulb — for light
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. snap — to click
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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