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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spell — letters
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rest — a break
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. key — in music
  11. track — a path
  12. spell — magic
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rest — what's left
  16. track — a song
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand

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