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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. saw — the tool
  5. season — in sport
  6. key — for a lock
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fall — the season
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ground — crushed
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stand — to bear
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. saw — the tool
  23. season — of the year
  24. fall — to drop

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