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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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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: lie · mine · kick · mate · mouse · key · stem · jam

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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 — a thrill
  3. mine — for digging
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. kick — in football
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mate — to breed
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. key — in music
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mine — belonging to me

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