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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · date · key · lean · land · bulb · straw · lie

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. land — to come down
  5. lean — to bend
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. date — the fruit
  8. land — a country
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lean — thin
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. land — ground
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rash — a series
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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