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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 124 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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. ball — a dance
  5. present — the time now
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. chip — to eat
  11. key — for a lock
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. ball — a great time
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chip — for betting
  20. key — in music
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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