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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.

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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. key — the most important part
  3. spell — letters
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wind — moving air
  6. key — for a lock
  7. field — for sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spell — a short time
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. mug — a cup
  15. field — a subject
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spell — magic
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. key — in music
  21. field — farmland
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mug — a face

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