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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: rash · game · sharp · key · lean · foot · rest · lie

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. key — in music
  7. lean — thin
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rest — a break
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rash — a series
  12. game — a match
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rash — hasty
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. lean — to bend
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. sharp — clever
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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