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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lean — to bend
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. file — a line of people
  9. tube — a container
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. key — in music
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cap — a hat
  14. file — a document
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cap — of ice
  17. file — a tool
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. cap — a lid
  24. lean — thin

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