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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. key — for a lock
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pop — music
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. spell — magic
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. spell — letters
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. spell — a short time

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