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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · current · key · prune · kid · cell · wake · foot

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cell — in biology
  3. current — of water
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. race — humankind
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. current — happening now
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. race — a contest
  16. kid — child
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wake — a trail
  21. race — the arms race
  22. foot — a measure
  23. key — the most important part
  24. current — electric

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