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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mug — a cup
  3. key — in music
  4. tube — the underground
  5. snap — to click
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mug — to rob
  8. land — to come down
  9. current — happening now
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. land — a country
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mug — a face
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. current — of water
  21. tube — a container
  22. current — electric
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. land — ground

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