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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. current — of water
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. lean — thin
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. lean — to bend
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. content — the amount
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. current — happening now
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. content — happy
  16. chest — a box
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. chest — of your body
  20. sharp — clever
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. chest — of your body
  23. current — electric
  24. toast — bread

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