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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. key — for a lock
  6. charge — electricity
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. tear — to rip
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. key — the most important part
  13. charge — in control
  14. toast — bread
  15. charge — a price
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wake — a trail
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. key — in music
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. toast — the most admired

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