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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cell — in biology
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mark — a trace
  10. chest — of your body
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. degree — from a university
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cue — for pool
  16. chest — a box
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. key — in music
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rush — to hurry

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