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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. kid — child
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. key — in music
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. vault — a safe
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. sharp — clever
  18. key — the most important part
  19. kid — to tease
  20. toast — bread
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bat — the animal
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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