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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. spring — of water
  6. deal — to handle
  7. file — a line of people
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lean — thin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spring — a coil
  13. file — a document
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. file — a tool
  19. spring — the season
  20. pound — a weight
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

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