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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. charge — electricity
  3. swing — to play on
  4. key — in music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. swing — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. charge — in control
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. key — for a lock
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fall — the season
  21. lie — to recline
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. cue — for pool
  24. charge — a price

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