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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. bass — low music
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. key — the most important part
  9. staff — a stick
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. last — finally
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. staff — employees
  16. stem — to come from
  17. last — final
  18. bass — the fish
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wound — an injury
  24. last — to go on

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