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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stem — to come from
  3. cap — of ice
  4. land — a country
  5. bear — the animal
  6. land — ground
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — of water
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. spring — the season
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cap — a lid
  14. spring — a coil
  15. land — to come down
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. can — to be able to
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — a tin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. key — in music

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