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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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 — for a lock
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. drill — army training
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. rash — a series
  9. net — for catching
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. key — the most important part
  20. drill — the tool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. drill — a practice
  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