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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. file — a document
  4. lean — to bend
  5. charge — in control
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. plane — a tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. charge — a price
  11. lean — thin
  12. charge — electricity
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — the tool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. key — in music
  21. file — a line of people
  22. saw — the tool
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. file — a tool

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