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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: rock · face · race · key · mouse · track · last · jam

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. last — final
  3. face — to confront
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. rock — a stone
  7. track — a song
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. key — the most important part
  11. face — to point toward
  12. track — to keep track
  13. face — part of the head
  14. race — a contest
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. race — the arms race
  19. last — finally
  20. race — humankind
  21. track — a path
  22. key — in music
  23. last — to go on
  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