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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. staff — employees
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. staff — employees
  6. clip — to cut
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rock — a stone
  12. clip — a video
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. capital — a city
  20. lie — to recline
  21. key — in music
  22. clip — for paper
  23. capital — money
  24. rock — 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