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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. object — to protest
  4. spell — letters
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. last — final
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lean — thin
  11. can — a tin
  12. last — finally
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lean — to bend
  17. spell — magic
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rock — music
  20. can — a tin
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. last — to go on
  24. spell — a short time

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