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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. track — a path
  4. race — the arms race
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. content — the amount
  7. saw — the tool
  8. key — for a lock
  9. track — to keep track
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. race — a contest
  13. lie — to recline
  14. content — happy
  15. fine — high quality
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. track — a song
  18. race — humankind
  19. fine — all right
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. key — in music

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