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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. key — in music
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rest — what's left
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. content — happy
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rest — a break
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — videos and posts

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