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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. suit — in cards
  7. drill — a practice
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. lean — thin
  12. key — for a lock
  13. drill — the tool
  14. object — to protest
  15. spell — magic
  16. drill — army training
  17. lean — to bend
  18. object — an aim
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. object — a thing
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. key — in music
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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