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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. lean — thin
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spell — letters
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. ball — a dance
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cap — of ice
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fork — in a road
  17. key — for a lock
  18. toast — bread
  19. spell — magic
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cap — a lid
  22. lean — to bend
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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