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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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cue — a hint
  4. club — for dancing
  5. vault — a safe
  6. spring — a coil
  7. last — final
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. spring — of water
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. club — for golf
  16. spring — the season
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cue — a signal
  19. club — a group
  20. key — the most important part
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. key — for a lock

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