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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rest — what's left
  3. prune — to trim
  4. key — in music
  5. rest — a break
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rest — what's left
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. key — the most important part
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. pass — a permit
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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