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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rash — hasty
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rash — a series
  9. wound — an injury
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. key — in music
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. land — to come down
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pass — a permit

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