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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 124 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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. saw — the tool
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. race — a contest
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. key — in music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. race — the arms race
  13. tube — a container
  14. key — the most important part
  15. saw — the tool
  16. snap — to click
  17. race — humankind
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. lie — to recline

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