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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. key — the most important part
  3. clip — to cut
  4. key — for a lock
  5. clip — a video
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. clip — for paper
  9. spell — letters
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. key — in music
  17. kick — in football
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mate — a friend
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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