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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.

Make a worksheet

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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. capital — a city
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lean — to bend
  13. key — in music
  14. capital — money
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. suit — in cards
  17. tube — a container
  18. suit — to fit
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lean — thin
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mine — for digging
  23. suit — clothes
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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