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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. spring — the season
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. staff — employees
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. spring — of water
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. staff — employees
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. spring — a coil
  23. plane — a tool
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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