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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. game — a match
  3. ball — a dance
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ball — a great time
  6. spell — letters
  7. lean — thin
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lie — to recline
  12. spell — a short time
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. game — wild animals
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spell — magic

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