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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fine — all right
  6. track — a song
  7. tube — a container
  8. fine — high quality
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stock — goods
  14. key — in music
  15. chest — of your body
  16. track — to keep track
  17. snap — to click
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. track — a path
  21. stock — shares
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. chest — of your body
  24. tube — the underground

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