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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. prune — to trim
  7. present — a gift
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. can — a tin
  12. present — the time now
  13. last — final
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. can — a tin
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rest — a break
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. present — there
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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