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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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. spell — magic
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. key — for a lock
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pit — a hole
  10. spell — letters
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fall — the season
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. spell — a short time
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a 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