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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 120 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. fork — in a road
  3. object — a thing
  4. key — the most important part
  5. file — a line of people
  6. key — in music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. file — a tool
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bark — to shout
  13. last — to go on
  14. object — an aim
  15. file — a document
  16. last — finally
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. object — to protest

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