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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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cold — an illness
  6. key — in music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mate — a partner
  12. key — for a lock
  13. spell — magic
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mug — a face
  24. bulb — for light

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