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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. key — for a lock
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. key — the most important part
  6. net — for catching
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. key — in music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. charge — a price
  18. kid — to tease
  19. charge — in control
  20. rush — hurry
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. charge — electricity

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