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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bound — certain
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tube — the underground
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mine — for digging
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. key — in music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. key — the most important part
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. dip — to sink
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. chair — a leader
  16. tube — a container
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. chair — a professorship

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