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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ground — a position
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. key — for a lock
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. band — a music group
  12. spring — of water
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. band — a ring
  15. drill — army training
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. key — in music
  21. spring — a coil
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spring — the season

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