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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rock — music
  6. pass — a permit
  7. key — the most important part
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. charge — in control
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rule — a law
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — government
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. key — in music

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