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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 124 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cap — of ice
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mark — a trace
  12. key — the most important part
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. spell — magic
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. snap — to click
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. key — in music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. spell — letters

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