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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
468
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: stick · firm · content · key · saw · swing · tube · rush

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. key — for a lock
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. key — the most important part
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. firm — decided
  9. key — in music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. content — the amount
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rush — hurry
  14. swing — music
  15. firm — a company
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. content — happy
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tube — a container
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. firm — steady

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