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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. track — a song
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. hand — help
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. key — in music
  12. fall — to drop
  13. chip — for betting
  14. track — to keep track
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pass — a permit
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. key — for a lock
  23. last — final
  24. track — a path

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