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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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fall — the season
  4. ground — crushed
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. key — for a lock
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spring — of water
  10. ground — the earth
  11. hand — in cards
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ground — a position
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. key — in music
  19. spring — the season
  20. key — the most important part
  21. hand — help
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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