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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. key — for a lock
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. track — a path
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — in music
  12. rush — hurry
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. key — the most important part
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. track — a song
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. track — to keep track

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