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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. perch — the fish
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bound — certain
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bound — tied together
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bound — obliged
  13. race — a contest
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. race — humankind
  18. snap — to click
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rush — hurry

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