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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. wake — a trail
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. capital — a city
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. capital — money
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bulb — for light
  20. key — in music
  21. cold — not warm
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hide — animal skin

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