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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. charge — in control
  3. bulb — for light
  4. key — in music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lean — thin
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — to cut
  13. cue — for pool
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rock — music
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. lean — to bend
  24. charge — a price

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