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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. toast — bread
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. key — the most important part
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. kid — to tease
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — in music

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