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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. key — the most important part
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. key — for a lock
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. land — a country
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. degree — from a university
  14. key — in music
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. land — ground
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. degree — temperature
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. degree — an amount
  21. kick — in football
  22. land — to come down
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. safe — out of danger

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