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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: wake · saw · key · mark · squash · race · current · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. race — humankind
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. current — of water
  6. race — a contest
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. current — happening now
  10. race — the arms race
  11. key — in music
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. squash — the sport
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. squash — to crush
  20. saw — the tool
  21. current — electric
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mark — a grade
  24. saw — the tool

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