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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. key — for a lock
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. key — the most important part
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. can — a tin
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. key — in music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bark — to shout
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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