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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pass — a permit
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. key — the most important part
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. spell — letters
  11. wound — an injury
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. spell — a short time
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. spell — magic
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bulb — for light
  22. dip — to sink
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pass — to spend time

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