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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. key — for a lock
  3. firm — a company
  4. saw — the tool
  5. clip — for paper
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. scale — size or range
  10. clip — a video
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. key — in music
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. firm — steady
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. key — the most important part
  18. scale — in music
  19. firm — decided
  20. clip — to cut
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. saw — the tool

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