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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitch — completely
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. key — in music
  6. spell — magic
  7. spring — a coil
  8. key — for a lock
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rock — a stone
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rock — music
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spell — letters
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. spring — the season
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. key — the most important part

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