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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fall — the season
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. fall — to drop
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fall — to drop
  17. vault — a safe
  18. current — happening now
  19. key — in music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. current — electric

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