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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. firm — decided
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. date — the fruit
  8. key — for a lock
  9. spring — the season
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. key — in music
  12. spring — of water
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. firm — steady
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. firm — a company
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. key — the most important part
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. shower — rain
  23. chest — of your body
  24. shower — to wash

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