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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. file — a tool
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. file — a document
  9. mine — for digging
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. lean — to bend
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. key — in music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. file — a line of people
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. season — in sport
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. key — the most important part
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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