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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. key — in music
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. key — for a lock
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bound — certain
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ground — a position
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. tube — a container
  15. bound — tied together
  16. file — a tool
  17. ground — the earth
  18. file — a document
  19. key — the most important part
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mouse — the animal

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