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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. key — in music
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. file — a tool
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. spring — a coil
  7. key — for a lock
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lean — to bend
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. file — a line of people
  13. spell — a short time
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — the season
  17. lean — thin
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. file — a document
  21. spell — letters
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. dip — to sink

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