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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cap — a lid
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. key — for a lock
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. land — to come down
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. land — a country
  13. key — in music
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. land — ground
  23. cap — of ice
  24. ground — a position

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