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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bulb — for light
  3. toast — bread
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. key — in music
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bass — low music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. spell — a short time
  15. firm — steady
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bore — to tire
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bulb — of a plant

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