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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. key — in music
  7. staff — employees
  8. bank — for money
  9. lie — to recline
  10. roll — a cake
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bank — of a river
  13. snap — to click
  14. bank — for money
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. key — for a lock
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. key — the most important part

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