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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. can — a tin
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. key — the most important part
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. key — in music
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. last — final
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. lie — to recline
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. game — a match
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. nail — for a hammer

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