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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. land — ground
  3. ground — crushed
  4. drill — a practice
  5. key — for a lock
  6. suit — clothes
  7. key — in music
  8. rush — hurry
  9. land — a country
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. suit — in cards
  16. land — to come down
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lie — to recline
  20. drill — army training
  21. tube — a container
  22. drill — the tool
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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