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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. key — for a lock
  3. row — to paddle
  4. toast — bread
  5. rest — what's left
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. row — a line
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pass — a permit
  15. key — the most important part
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rest — a break
  18. kick — in football
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. content — the amount
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. sharp — clever
  23. key — in music
  24. content — happy

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