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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bulb — for light
  3. key — for a lock
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rule — a law
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. shower — rain
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — in music
  18. rule — government
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — to recline

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