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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. key — the most important part
  3. vault — a safe
  4. suit — in cards
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. suit — clothes
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chest — a box
  13. snap — to click
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. key — in music
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. suit — to fit
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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