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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. capital — money
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. can — to be able to
  6. tube — the underground
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. can — a tin
  10. last — finally
  11. capital — a city
  12. stem — to come from
  13. can — a tin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. last — to go on
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. last — final
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tube — a container
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stem — a stem cell

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