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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. drill — army training
  3. firm — decided
  4. chest — a box
  5. key — for a lock
  6. dip — to sink
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. drill — the tool
  11. key — in music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. firm — steady
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. firm — a company
  16. chest — of your body
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stem — to come from
  19. drill — a practice
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. leaves — to go away

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