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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. last — finally
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cell — in biology
  15. rash — a series
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. key — in music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. last — final
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cue — a hint
  23. last — to go on
  24. staff — a stick

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