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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. key — in music
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fine — high quality
  5. last — to go on
  6. fine — all right
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. last — finally
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. deal — to handle
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fall — to drop
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fall — the season
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wound — an injury
  21. last — final
  22. tube — a container
  23. fall — to drop
  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