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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. swing — music
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wake — a trail
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. charge — in control
  11. snap — to click
  12. key — in music
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. saw — the tool
  15. charge — a price
  16. swing — in golf
  17. charge — electricity
  18. firm — decided
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. key — for a lock
  21. saw — the tool
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wake — before a funeral

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