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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. field — a subject
  6. rest — a break
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. season — in sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rest — what's left
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rest — what's left
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. key — in music
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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