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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. staff — employees
  5. lean — to bend
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. staff — employees
  15. object — to protest
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. key — the most important part
  19. track — a path
  20. lean — thin
  21. spell — a short time
  22. staff — a stick
  23. key — in music
  24. safe — a strongbox

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