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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mate — a friend
  10. key — in music
  11. march — the month
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — magic
  14. cap — a lid
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. kick — in football
  19. key — for a lock
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mate — a partner

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