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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. key — the most important part
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. key — in music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. scale — in music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cap — a lid
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. scale — size or range
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pitch — completely

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