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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rash — hasty
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rash — a series
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. key — in music
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pit — in a race
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. dip — a sauce

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