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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: snap · present · rest · key · row · bear · roll · ball

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. key — for a lock
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bear — the animal
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. key — the most important part
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. snap — to click
  11. rest — a break
  12. row — a line
  13. bear — the animal
  14. row — to paddle
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. key — in music

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