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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. land — a country
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. capital — a city
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. rock — a stone
  10. key — in music
  11. rock — music
  12. land — to come down
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. key — the most important part
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. capital — money
  19. key — for a lock
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. kick — in football
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. nail — for a hammer

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