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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: key · cap · saw · bay · lie · mouse · kick · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kick — in football
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rock — music
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cap — of ice
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lie — to recline
  20. key — in music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rock — to move gently

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