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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. key — in music
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. current — electric
  5. capital — money
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bank — for money
  9. current — happening now
  10. mark — a trace
  11. key — the most important part
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. capital — a city
  16. current — of water
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rest — a break
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bank — for money
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wake — a trail

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