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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 116 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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. key — in music
  5. stand — to bear
  6. clip — for paper
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fall — the season
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rash — a series
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — to cut
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. fall — to drop

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