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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. firm — decided
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. field — for sport
  5. bound — certain
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. firm — steady
  8. key — for a lock
  9. field — farmland
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. field — a subject
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. kick — in football
  16. firm — a company
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stem — to come from
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. key — the most important part
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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