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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. ball — a dance
  3. file — a tool
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. drill — the tool
  6. file — a document
  7. staff — a stick
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. file — a line of people
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stem — to come from
  15. key — in music
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. staff — employees
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cue — for pool
  23. staff — employees
  24. drill — army training

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