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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. key — in music
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. tube — the underground
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. last — to go on
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stem — to come from
  17. key — for a lock
  18. deal — to handle
  19. key — the most important part
  20. last — finally
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. last — final

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