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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. content — happy
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. key — in music
  10. drill — a practice
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. drill — army training
  13. staff — a stick
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. staff — employees
  16. key — the most important part
  17. object — an aim
  18. staff — employees
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. drill — the tool
  22. deal — to handle
  23. content — the amount
  24. straw — dry grass

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