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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pop — music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pass — a permit
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rest — what's left
  13. key — in music
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rest — a break
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stand — to bear
  23. hand — help
  24. key — the most important part

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