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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fall — the season
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. cue — a signal
  5. object — an aim
  6. cue — a hint
  7. object — a thing
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cue — for pool
  10. land — to come down
  11. fall — to drop
  12. object — to protest
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. land — ground
  18. band — a music group
  19. land — a country
  20. lean — to bend
  21. band — a ring
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fall — to drop
  24. key — in music

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