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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 120 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. key — the most important part
  3. tube — the underground
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. key — in music
  7. cell — a phone
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cell — in biology
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fall — the season
  18. key — for a lock
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. saw — the tool
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fall — to drop

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