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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 124 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. key — for a lock
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. band — a music group
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. key — in music
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mine — for digging
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. band — a ring
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bulb — for light

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