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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. lie — to recline
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bat — the animal
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. key — in music
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. capital — money
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. capital — a city
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. key — for a lock
  19. foot — a measure
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bat — for baseball

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