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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bound — certain
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. lean — thin
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. key — in music
  19. fine — high quality
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bound — obliged
  22. last — finally
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bound — tied together

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