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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. key — the most important part
  6. last — finally
  7. current — electric
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. current — of water
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. last — final
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. key — for a lock
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. chest — a box
  18. last — to go on
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. branch — a division
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. current — happening now

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