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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. game — wild animals
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. club — a group
  7. key — for a lock
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. game — a match
  10. pass — a permit
  11. kick — in football
  12. club — for dancing
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. key — in music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. club — for golf

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