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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. march — the month
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. key — for a lock
  5. row — to paddle
  6. content — happy
  7. content — the amount
  8. key — in music
  9. mug — a cup
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mug — a face
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. key — the most important part
  14. march — music
  15. mug — to rob
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rest — what's left
  18. march — the month
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rest — a break
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. content — videos and posts

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