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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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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: content · bay · swing · object · saw · kick · bulb · key

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. key — the most important part
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bulb — for light
  12. key — in music
  13. content — happy
  14. kick — in football
  15. object — to protest
  16. bulb — for light
  17. swing — music
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. key — for a lock
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. content — the amount
  24. object — an aim

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