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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. key — the most important part
  5. snap — to click
  6. saw — the tool
  7. key — for a lock
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. key — in music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fork — in a road
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pass — a permit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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