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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fine — high quality
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. key — in music
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lean — thin
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fine — all right
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. ruler — for measuring

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