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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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468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rash — a series
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. land — a country
  11. bear — the animal
  12. key — in music
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. land — ground
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. can — a tin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. key — the most important part
  21. land — to come down
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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