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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pop — soda
  7. last — finally
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stand — to bear
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wind — moving air
  13. key — in music
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pop — to visit
  16. key — for a lock
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pop — music
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. charge — in control
  24. hide — animal skin

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