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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. rest — what's left
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. key — in music
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rest — what's left
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. perch — the fish
  12. key — for a lock
  13. can — a tin
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. season — of the year
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rest — a break
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. can — a tin
  24. leaves — lets stay

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