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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lean — thin
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. scale — in music
  9. spell — magic
  10. pass — a permit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spell — letters
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. key — in music
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. key — the most important part

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