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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — in music
  4. pass — a permit
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mug — a cup
  8. clip — for paper
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mug — a face
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. clip — a video
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bore — to tire
  23. clip — to cut
  24. key — the most important part

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