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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bound — tied together
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bound — certain
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bound — obliged
  9. clip — a video
  10. key — in music
  11. ground — crushed
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — a position
  17. bass — the fish
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bass — low music
  20. content — the amount
  21. ground — the earth
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. lie — an untruth

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