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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pit — a hole
  4. key — in music
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. key — for a lock
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chest — a box
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stand — to bear

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