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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. court — of a king
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. key — for a lock
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. key — in music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bound — tied together
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. key — the most important part
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. last — to go on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. last — final

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