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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 124 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. last — finally
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. last — final
  11. stem — to come from
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. key — for a lock
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. key — the most important part
  21. tube — a container
  22. key — in music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. tube — in a tire

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