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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. suit — clothes
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. lean — thin
  6. suit — in cards
  7. spring — of water
  8. track — a path
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wind — moving air
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lean — to bend
  24. suit — to fit

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