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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. last — to go on
  3. key — in music
  4. current — of water
  5. saw — the tool
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. last — final
  10. current — happening now
  11. present — there
  12. last — finally
  13. bear — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. current — electric
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bear — the animal

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