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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. key — for a lock
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. key — the most important part
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rash — a series
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. key — in music
  22. can — a tin
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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