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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. key — in music
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rest — what's left
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fine — all right
  7. key — the most important part
  8. band — a music group
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fine — high quality
  12. content — happy
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. content — the amount
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. key — for a lock
  24. band — a ring

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