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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 116 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. key — the most important part
  3. spring — a coil
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. staff — employees
  6. capital — a city
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. club — for golf
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. staff — a stick
  12. club — for dancing
  13. face — to confront
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. club — a group
  16. key — in music
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. face — part of the head
  20. capital — money
  21. spring — the season
  22. key — for a lock
  23. staff — employees
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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