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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. spell — magic
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. current — of water
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. spell — letters
  11. wake — a trail
  12. current — happening now
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. key — in music
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. current — electric
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. spell — a short time
  21. present — the time now
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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