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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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468
Word bank
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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mark — a grade
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rest — what's left
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. rest — a break
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cold — an illness
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. cold — not warm
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wave — of the sea

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