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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. key — the most important part
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stock — goods
  7. file — a tool
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. file — a line of people
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. file — a document
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stock — shares
  19. wake — a trail
  20. key — in music
  21. lean — thin
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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