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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: rash · firm · track · key · chair · arm · spring · lean

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. track — to keep track
  3. firm — decided
  4. track — a path
  5. lean — to bend
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rash — a series
  11. firm — steady
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. firm — a company
  15. spring — of water
  16. key — for a lock
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. track — a song
  23. rash — hasty
  24. spring — a coil

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