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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. key — for a lock
  3. spell — letters
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. firm — a company
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. land — a country
  10. spell — a short time
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. firm — steady
  14. spell — magic
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rest — a break
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. firm — decided
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mate — a partner

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