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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · rock · leaves · squash · lie · key · chest · land

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. chest — a box
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cap — a lid
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. key — in music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. cap — a hat
  13. land — a country
  14. cap — of ice
  15. lie — to recline
  16. land — to come down
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rock — music
  19. land — ground
  20. squash — to crush
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chest — of your body
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. chest — of your body

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