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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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. land — a country
  4. rest — a break
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rest — what's left
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. land — ground
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stem — to come from
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rest — what's left
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. key — in music
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. key — for a lock
  23. land — to come down
  24. dip — to sink

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