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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. tube — a container
  3. bank — for money
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. tear — to rip
  13. last — to go on
  14. content — happy
  15. key — in music
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. tear — from crying
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. snap — to click
  21. key — for a lock
  22. content — the amount
  23. last — finally
  24. tube — the underground

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