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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. key — in music
  8. last — finally
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. last — to go on
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wake — a trail
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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