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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 a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mark — a grade
  3. key — for a lock
  4. club — a group
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bear — the animal
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. key — the most important part
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bear — the animal
  18. club — for golf
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. key — in music
  23. lean — thin
  24. fan — to cool the air

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