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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. saw — the tool
  4. content — happy
  5. clip — to cut
  6. tube — a container
  7. clip — for paper
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. key — for a lock
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. content — the amount
  14. ball — a great time
  15. key — the most important part
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rest — a break
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rest — what's left
  20. firm — decided
  21. clip — a video
  22. saw — the tool
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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