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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: key · pitcher · lie · chest · ball · wind · lean · foot

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chest — of your body
  12. key — for a lock
  13. lean — thin
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. ball — a dance
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. key — in music
  24. lie — to recline

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