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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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mark — a trace
  3. spring — the season
  4. wind — moving air
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. charge — electricity
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rule — government
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wind — moving air
  13. key — in music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rule — a law
  16. spring — of water
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rock — music
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. charge — in control
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. charge — a price

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