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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. spring — of water
  3. tube — a container
  4. key — the most important part
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. tube — the underground
  7. spring — the season
  8. pound — a weight
  9. race — humankind
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. current — of water
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. spring — a coil
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. key — in music
  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