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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cabinet — ministers

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