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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.

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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. key — the most important part
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. last — to go on
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. key — for a lock
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. tube — the underground
  10. spell — letters
  11. staff — employees
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. last — finally
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. key — in music
  16. staff — a stick
  17. board — to get on
  18. spell — magic
  19. toast — bread
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. staff — employees
  22. spell — a short time
  23. last — final
  24. board — a committee

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