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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. object — to protest
  11. key — the most important part
  12. object — an aim
  13. bat — the animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. content — happy
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. nail — on a finger

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