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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. last — finally
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. race — humankind
  11. last — to go on
  12. lean — thin
  13. last — final
  14. key — in music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. race — a contest
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. fine — all right
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. race — the arms race
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bark — to shout

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