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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. clip — to cut
  6. key — the most important part
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pound — a weight
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rush — hurry
  21. sharp — clever
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fall — the season
  24. clip — a video

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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