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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. file — a line of people
  3. chest — of your body
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. season — in sport
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. key — for a lock
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. season — of the year
  18. rock — music
  19. chest — a box
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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