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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hand — in cards
  4. chair — a leader
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rule — a law
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hand — help
  11. pass — a permit
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. key — the most important part
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rule — government
  23. key — in music
  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