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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. key — for a lock
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — not warm
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. present — a gift
  9. key — the most important part
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. snap — to click
  14. firm — a company
  15. present — the time now
  16. firm — decided
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cold — an illness
  20. firm — steady
  21. key — in music
  22. present — there
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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