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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. key — the most important part
  3. current — happening now
  4. track — a path
  5. key — for a lock
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mine — for digging
  10. current — electric
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. key — in music
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. last — finally
  20. rush — hurry
  21. current — of water
  22. track — a song
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. last — to go on

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