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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hand · kick · lie · key · ball · toast · pass · game

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He hasn't even shaken 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. kick — in football
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. game — a match
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. hand — help
  9. game — wild animals
  10. lie — to recline
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. ball — a dance
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. ball — a great time
  17. toast — bread
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pass — a permit
  20. key — in music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. hand — part of the 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