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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. key — the most important part
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. key — for a lock
  14. firm — decided
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. scale — in music
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. firm — steady
  22. key — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. firm — a company

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