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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. season — in sport
  3. present — a gift
  4. season — of the year
  5. wind — moving air
  6. kick — in football
  7. wind — moving air
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. key — the most important part
  12. present — there
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. lean — to bend
  15. present — the time now
  16. lean — thin
  17. rock — a stone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rock — music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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