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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. deal — to handle
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. kick — in football
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. key — for a lock
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. key — in music
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fan — a supporter

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