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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lean — thin
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mate — a friend
  10. key — in music
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. lean — to bend
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mate — a partner
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. foot — a measure
  23. net — for catching
  24. foot — part of the body

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