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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. key — the most important part
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. chest — of your body
  7. spell — a short time
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. spell — letters
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. dip — to sink
  16. key — in music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. key — for a lock
  20. capital — money
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spell — magic
  23. mine — for digging
  24. capital — a city

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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