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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. lean — thin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. present — the time now
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. ground — the earth
  9. date — the fruit
  10. present — there
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. present — a gift
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stand — to bear
  19. key — in music
  20. ground — a position
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ground — crushed
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cabinet — ministers

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