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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · fan · spell · chest · dip · object · key · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. spell — letters
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chest — a box
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. can — a tin
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spell — a short time
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. object — an aim
  18. chest — of your body
  19. can — a tin
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. can — to be able to
  22. spell — magic
  23. key — in music
  24. chest — of your body

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