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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. key — the most important part
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. bank — for money
  6. date — the fruit
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. scale — size or range
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. key — in music
  11. bank — of a river
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. scale — in music
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bank — for money
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. key — for a lock
  24. toast — bread

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