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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bound — tied together
  3. key — in music
  4. rash — a series
  5. bound — certain
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. roll — a cake
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. key — for a lock
  12. roll — a list
  13. last — to go on
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bound — obliged
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. last — final
  23. deal — to handle
  24. last — finally

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