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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. track — a song
  3. land — to come down
  4. spell — magic
  5. spring — a coil
  6. land — a country
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rule — a law
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. track — to keep track
  12. key — in music
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. key — the most important part
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. spell — letters
  18. track — a path
  19. land — ground
  20. spring — of water
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. spring — the season
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rule — government

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