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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mark — a grade
  4. present — there
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. key — for a lock
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. present — a gift
  9. bound — certain
  10. rock — music
  11. bound — tied together
  12. clip — a video
  13. pass — a permit
  14. key — in music
  15. present — the time now
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mark — a trace
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. clip — for paper

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