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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. key — in music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — the season
  6. face — part of the head
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. face — to confront
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. spring — a coil
  14. key — the most important part
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spring — of water
  21. face — to point toward
  22. perch — the fish
  23. vault — a safe
  24. saw — the tool

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