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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. snap — to click
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rule — a law
  6. perch — the fish
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. tube — a container
  11. present — a gift
  12. chair — a leader
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. present — there
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rule — government
  21. rush — hurry
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. present — the time now
  24. key — for a lock

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