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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. fall — to drop
  6. tube — the underground
  7. track — to keep track
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. track — a song
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fall — to drop
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. key — the most important part
  17. track — a path
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. last — to go on
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

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