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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. clip — to cut
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. key — in music
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. spring — a coil
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. firm — steady
  17. spring — of water
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — a series
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. spring — the season
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mine — an explosive

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