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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. key — the most important part
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. last — finally
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. key — for a lock
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. saw — the tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. saw — the tool
  21. last — final
  22. key — in music
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rush — hurry

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