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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bound — certain
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. squash — to crush
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. key — for a lock
  7. staff — employees
  8. bound — tied together
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. key — the most important part
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. key — in music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bound — obliged
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. staff — a stick
  20. lean — thin
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. lean — to bend
  23. staff — employees
  24. row — to paddle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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