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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chip — to eat
  7. perch — the fish
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spring — the season
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. season — of the year
  16. key — in music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. season — in sport
  23. key — for a lock
  24. chip — for betting

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