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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rest — a break
  6. ball — a dance
  7. face — to confront
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. scale — size or range
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. scale — in music
  17. race — humankind
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. face — part of the head
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. fan — to cool the 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