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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. current — happening now
  3. last — to go on
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. last — final
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. last — finally
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. tube — the underground
  15. current — of water
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. current — electric
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. key — in music
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. key — for a lock

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