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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.

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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. key — in music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. fall — to drop
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mine — for digging
  20. can — a tin
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. fall — the season
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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