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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. current — happening now
  5. staff — employees
  6. fall — the season
  7. current — electric
  8. track — a path
  9. staff — a stick
  10. track — to keep track
  11. staff — employees
  12. tube — a container
  13. key — in music
  14. track — a song
  15. current — of water
  16. fall — to drop
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fall — to drop

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