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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. last — to go on
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pound — a weight
  13. last — final
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. content — the amount
  16. last — finally
  17. key — in music
  18. saw — the tool
  19. content — happy
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pound — for dogs
  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