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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fine — high quality
  3. kid — child
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rule — a law
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mark — a trace
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rule — government
  15. fine — all right
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. key — in music
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. kid — to tease
  24. lean — to rest against

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