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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. key — in music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. key — the most important part
  6. net — for catching
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. net — in sport
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cold — not warm
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cold — an illness
  20. toast — bread
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. net — after costs
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. cabinet — ministers

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