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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. branch — a division
  7. capital — money
  8. key — in music
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. foot — a measure
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mouse — for a computer

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