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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pit — a hole
  5. key — in music
  6. bank — for money
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hand — in cards
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bound — obliged
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bank — of a river
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bank — for money
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hand — help
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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