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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. chest — of your body
  3. branch — a division
  4. mug — a cup
  5. chest — a box
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. mug — a face
  12. key — in music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. key — for a lock
  16. last — final
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mug — to rob

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