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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hand — in cards
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. key — the most important part
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. key — in music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pit — a hole
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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