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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. key — in music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wind — moving air
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. dip — to sink
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. content — the amount
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. content — happy
  21. key — for a lock
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wind — moving air
  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