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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. present — there
  3. squash — the sport
  4. present — a gift
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bound — certain
  11. can — a tin
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. can — a tin
  14. key — in music
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mine — for digging
  17. can — to be able to
  18. present — the time now
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mine — an explosive

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