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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. net — after costs
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rash — a series
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. key — for a lock
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. net — for catching
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pop — music
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. key — in music
  22. kick — in football
  23. net — in sport
  24. saw — the tool

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