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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. charge — in control
  4. land — a country
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. kick — in football
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. key — in music
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. craft — boats
  16. dip — to sink
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wound — an injury
  19. land — ground
  20. key — the most important part
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. land — to come down
  23. wound — an injury
  24. dip — a sauce

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