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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. key — in music
  4. pass — a permit
  5. key — the most important part
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wound — an injury
  8. tube — the underground
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. march — the month
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — a container
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wound — an injury
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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