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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. net — after costs
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. last — to go on
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. suit — clothes
  8. can — a tin
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. net — in sport
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. last — final
  17. suit — in cards
  18. net — for catching
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. key — for a lock
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. key — the most important part
  24. last — finally

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