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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. key — for a lock
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. shower — rain
  5. lean — thin
  6. spring — a coil
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. spring — the season
  14. file — a tool
  15. key — the most important part
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. suit — to fit
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. key — in music
  22. sharp — clever
  23. suit — clothes
  24. lean — to bend

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