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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. net — for catching
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rock — music
  8. rest — a break
  9. net — in sport
  10. key — in music
  11. tube — a container
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rash — a series
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. tube — the underground
  20. net — after costs
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rest — what's left

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