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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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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: firm · bark · mug · swing · rest · stick · fan · key

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mug — a face
  12. firm — steady
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. swing — music
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. key — in music
  19. firm — decided
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rest — a break
  23. firm — a company
  24. fan — a supporter

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