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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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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: lie · tube · current · object · key · saw · cabinet · track

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. track — a path
  5. current — happening now
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. object — an aim
  11. tube — a container
  12. current — of water
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. track — to keep track
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. current — electric
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tube — the underground
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. key — in music
  24. track — a song

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