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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: firm · mate · staff · key · nail · land · lean · pop

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lean — to bend
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mate — to breed
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lean — thin
  9. mate — a partner
  10. staff — employees
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. key — in music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. firm — steady
  16. land — a country
  17. staff — employees
  18. pop — soda
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pop — music
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. key — the most important part
  24. land — to come down

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