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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.

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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rest — what's left
  3. key — in music
  4. mark — a trace
  5. capital — money
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rest — what's left
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pop — to visit
  13. track — to keep track
  14. capital — a city
  15. track — a song
  16. pop — soda
  17. kick — in football
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. pop — music
  20. track — a path
  21. rest — a break
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. mark — a grade

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