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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: last · bore · content · key · arm · stock · tube · rest

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rest — a break
  3. stock — shares
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. last — to go on
  6. rest — what's left
  7. key — for a lock
  8. content — happy
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. last — finally
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stock — goods
  19. content — the amount
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bore — to drill
  23. key — in music
  24. content — videos and posts

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