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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: content · key · bowl · nail · wake · stick · firm · stem

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. firm — decided
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. firm — a company
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. content — the amount
  14. firm — steady
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. content — happy
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. key — in music
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wake — a trail
  24. nail — for a hammer

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