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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. key — in music
  3. object — a thing
  4. race — a contest
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. key — for a lock
  7. race — the arms race
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pass — a permit
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. shower — to wash
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. shower — rain
  22. race — humankind
  23. kid — child
  24. object — to protest

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