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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.

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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fall — the season
  3. pop — music
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. net — for catching
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. key — for a lock
  9. net — in sport
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pop — soda
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. key — in music
  20. net — after costs
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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