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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mate — to breed
  3. spell — magic
  4. foot — a measure
  5. key — in music
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. spell — a short time
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wake — a trail
  12. file — a tool
  13. firm — decided
  14. spell — letters
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. firm — steady
  17. file — a document
  18. key — the most important part
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. firm — a company
  24. mate — a friend

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