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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mug — a face
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wake — a trail
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mug — to rob
  11. board — a committee
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. key — in music
  17. mug — a cup
  18. spring — the season
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. key — the most important part
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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