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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stock — goods
  4. firm — steady
  5. key — in music
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. pit — a hole
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lean — to bend
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. firm — a company
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rock — music
  20. current — happening now
  21. firm — decided
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stock — shares

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