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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rule — government
  4. key — the most important part
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. key — in music
  7. scale — in music
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. lean — to bend
  10. staff — employees
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. scale — size or range
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rule — a law
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. staff — a stick
  21. lean — thin
  22. staff — employees
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. arm — a part of something

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