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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rock — music
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. key — for a lock
  7. drill — the tool
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. staff — employees
  14. hand — in cards
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. key — in music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hand — help
  23. rest — a break
  24. drill — army training

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