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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. suit — clothes
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. dip — to sink
  5. suit — to fit
  6. key — for a lock
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. spring — the season
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. kick — in football
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. key — in music
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. suit — in cards
  17. spring — a coil
  18. season — in sport
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. season — of the year
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. spring — of water

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