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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. key — the most important part
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. present — there
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. rest — a break
  11. key — in music
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. staff — employees
  22. key — for a lock
  23. spell — magic
  24. present — the time now

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