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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. cap — a hat
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. land — a country
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. land — to come down
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cap — of ice
  14. key — in music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cap — a lid
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. land — ground
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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