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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. degree — temperature
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cue — a hint
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bank — for money
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bank — for money
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. key — the most important part
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cue — for pool
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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