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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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. key — in music
  6. dip — to sink
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rash — hasty
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. foot — a measure
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. prune — to trim
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fall — to drop
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. prune — to trim
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rash — a series
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cue — for pool

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