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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. mine — for digging
  6. march — music
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. march — the month
  9. key — for a lock
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pass — a permit
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stand — to bear
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. march — the month
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. plane — a tool

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