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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — to go on
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. lie — to recline
  7. court — for sport
  8. pit — a hole
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. last — final
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. court — of a king
  16. key — in music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. court — of law
  20. board — to get on
  21. foot — a measure
  22. board — a committee
  23. last — finally
  24. foot — the bottom

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