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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. key — the most important part
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. key — in music
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mine — for digging
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — obliged
  13. key — for a lock
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bound — certain
  16. lie — to recline
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. snap — to click
  20. spell — letters
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spell — magic
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mine — an explosive

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