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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: perch · deal · date · key · last · mine · fall · suit

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  3. perch — the fish
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. suit — clothes
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. key — for a lock
  10. suit — in cards
  11. key — in music
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fall — the season
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. last — finally
  16. date — the fruit
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fall — to drop
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. suit — to fit
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. mine — for digging
  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