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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. key — in music
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mine — for digging
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. key — for a lock
  7. hand — in cards
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. foot — a measure
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. dip — to sink
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rash — a series
  24. key — the most important part

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