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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — an aim
  5. key — in music
  6. current — of water
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. date — the fruit
  9. object — to protest
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bank — for money
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. race — the arms race
  17. current — electric
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. key — for a lock
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. current — happening now
  22. bank — for money
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bank — of a river

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