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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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. game — wild animals
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rock — a stone
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. game — a match
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. key — in music
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bore — to drill
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fall — to drop
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rock — music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bore — to tire
  24. prune — to trim

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