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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. key — for a lock
  7. present — the time now
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. present — there
  11. branch — a division
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. present — a gift
  24. trunk — of a car

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