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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. key — the most important part
  3. shower — rain
  4. clip — a video
  5. face — part of the head
  6. clip — to cut
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — in music
  18. shower — to wash
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. clip — for paper
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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