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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. march — music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. march — the month
  14. bulb — for light
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. march — the month
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cell — in biology
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bear — to put up with

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