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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. row — a line
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bound — certain
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rest — a break
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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