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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. cue — a signal
  4. firm — a company
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. key — for a lock
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cue — for pool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rest — a break
  19. mate — a friend
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mate — to breed
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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