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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. key — for a lock
  3. current — electric
  4. march — the month
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. snap — to click
  9. last — to go on
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. key — in music
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. tube — a container
  15. march — the month
  16. rule — a law
  17. tube — the underground
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. key — the most important part
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. march — music
  24. leaves — of a tree

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