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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rock — a stone
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rock — music
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. key — for a lock

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