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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — the most important part
  7. row — to paddle
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rest — a break
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. prune — to trim
  19. clip — a video
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rest — what's left

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