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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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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pass — a permit
  3. key — the most important part
  4. spring — of water
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. rest — what's left
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cell — in biology
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. key — in music
  12. clip — a video
  13. key — for a lock
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rest — a break
  16. cell — a phone
  17. plane — a tool
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. clip — for paper
  23. spring — the season
  24. pass — to spend time

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