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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ball — a dance
  7. key — in music
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. suit — to fit
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. suit — clothes
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. key — for a lock
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. suit — in cards

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