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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. key — for a lock
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. drill — army training
  11. land — a country
  12. sharp — clever
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. key — the most important part
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. drill — a practice
  19. key — in music
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. branch — a division
  24. drill — the tool

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