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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. staff — employees
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. roll — a list
  6. tube — the underground
  7. key — in music
  8. clip — for paper
  9. staff — employees
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. clip — a video
  15. deal — to handle
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. clip — to cut
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. roll — a cake
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tube — a container
  24. key — for a lock

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