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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. ground — the earth
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. key — in music
  8. hand — help
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fine — high quality
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. chair — a leader
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. ground — a position

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