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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. toast — bread
  17. race — humankind
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stem — to come from
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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