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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.

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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pop — soda
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pop — music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rule — a law
  15. rest — what's left
  16. key — in music
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mate — a friend
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rest — a break
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. arm — part of the body

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