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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. key — the most important part
  5. land — a country
  6. kick — in football
  7. race — humankind
  8. firm — decided
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. land — ground
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. land — to come down
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. firm — steady
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. sharp — clever
  21. race — a contest
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. firm — a company
  24. race — the arms race

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