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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mug — a cup
  3. track — to keep track
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rush — hurry
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mug — a face
  18. track — a path
  19. drill — army training
  20. mug — to rob
  21. track — a song
  22. key — in music
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cap — of ice

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