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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. land — to come down
  3. object — an aim
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. land — ground
  6. object — to protest
  7. key — in music
  8. foot — a measure
  9. spring — a coil
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. key — the most important part
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. object — a thing
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. land — a country
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. spring — the season
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spring — of water
  24. key — for a lock

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