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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
468
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: spell · stand · foot · bay · key · straw · lean · nail

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. stand — to bear
  5. key — in music
  6. lean — thin
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. spell — letters
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. spell — magic
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. key — for a lock
  19. lean — to bend
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. stand — on your feet

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