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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. object — to protest
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. key — in music
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. key — for a lock
  9. present — there
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. object — an aim
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. present — a gift
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. present — the time now
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. object — a thing
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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