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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. spring — a coil
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. charge — in control
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mark — a grade
  10. spring — the season
  11. mark — a trace
  12. key — for a lock
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. track — to keep track
  15. charge — a price
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. shower — rain
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. key — the most important part
  21. prune — to trim
  22. shower — to wash
  23. snap — to click
  24. spring — of water

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