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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mug — to rob
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bound — certain
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rock — music
  10. key — in music
  11. band — a music group
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mug — a face
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bound — tied together
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. band — a ring
  24. rock — a stone

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