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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. key — in music
  5. pound — a weight
  6. last — final
  7. fall — the season
  8. last — finally
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. last — to go on
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fall — to drop
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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