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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rest — what's left
  7. key — for a lock
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. scale — size or range
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rest — a break
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. scale — in music
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. lie — an untruth

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