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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. key — in music
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. toast — bread
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — of the year
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. clip — a video
  17. key — the most important part
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. clip — for paper
  21. snap — to click
  22. bear — the animal
  23. season — in sport
  24. clip — to cut

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