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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mug — a face
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stock — shares
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. drill — army training
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mug — a cup
  22. drill — a practice
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stock — goods

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