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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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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: pit · spell · leaves · mug · cold · chest · key · mark

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. spell — a short time
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mark — a grade
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mug — a face
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pit — a hole
  15. spell — magic
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cold — an illness
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. chest — of your body
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mug — to rob
  23. spell — letters
  24. cold — not warm

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