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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rule — a law
  4. last — final
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. last — to go on
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. clip — for paper
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pop — to visit
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rule — government
  18. last — finally
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. key — the most important part
  24. snap — to click

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