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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. snap — to click
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. stock — goods
  10. court — of law
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. court — of a king
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. lean — thin
  21. stock — shares
  22. bound — certain
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. court — for sport

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