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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. spring — a coil
  3. suit — to fit
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spring — the season
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. key — for a lock
  14. lie — to recline
  15. tube — the underground
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. spring — of water
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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