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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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 — in music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. branch — a division
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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