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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stock — shares
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pit — in a race
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. key — in music
  20. drill — army training
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. rash — a series

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