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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. key — in music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. charge — in control
  6. last — to go on
  7. roll — a list
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. last — final
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. charge — a price
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. fork — in a road
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. charge — electricity
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. last — finally
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. deal — to handle
  24. kick — in football

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