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

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. current — happening now
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. firm — a company
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. firm — steady
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. firm — decided
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wind — moving air
  20. current — of water
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. wind — moving air
  23. key — in music
  24. current — electric

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