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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fall — to drop
  3. firm — steady
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. file — a line of people
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. spring — a coil
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. firm — decided
  12. fall — to drop
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fall — the season
  15. fine — all right
  16. key — in music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spring — the season
  21. key — the most important part
  22. firm — a company
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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