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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. kid — to tease
  3. row — to paddle
  4. kid — child
  5. key — in music
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pop — music
  10. row — a line
  11. present — there
  12. charge — in control
  13. present — a gift
  14. lean — to bend
  15. present — the time now
  16. charge — a price
  17. kick — in football
  18. pop — to visit
  19. lean — thin
  20. charge — electricity
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. pop — soda
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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