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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. key — in music
  3. bark — to shout
  4. suit — clothes
  5. staff — employees
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. object — a thing
  9. key — for a lock
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. current — happening now
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. object — to protest
  15. last — to go on
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. staff — a stick
  19. current — of water
  20. staff — employees
  21. current — electric
  22. last — final
  23. key — the most important part
  24. last — finally

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