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

Word bank: mine · fall · object · chest · rest · fan · key · bay

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rest — what's left
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. object — to protest
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chest — a box
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. fall — to drop
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rest — a break
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chest — of your body
  19. key — in music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fall — the season

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