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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stem — to come from
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pound — a weight
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. nail — on a finger

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