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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: pit · spring · chest · last · kick · stick · key · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chest — of your body
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. last — to go on
  8. spring — of water
  9. pit — a hole
  10. object — to protest
  11. chest — a box
  12. key — for a lock
  13. last — finally
  14. chest — of your body
  15. object — a thing
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. key — in music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. key — the most important part
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pit — in a race
  23. kick — in football
  24. last — final

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