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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fork — in a road
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. chest — a box
  5. current — electric
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. chest — of your body
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. key — for a lock
  12. shower — to wash
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. tear — from crying
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. current — happening now
  17. shower — rain
  18. current — of water
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. tear — to rip
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. key — in music

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