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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. degree — from a university
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. key — the most important part
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. season — in sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. season — of the year
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bear — the animal

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