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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. key — in music
  6. hand — help
  7. bass — the fish
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. key — for a lock
  13. tube — the underground
  14. key — the most important part
  15. tube — a container
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. hand — in cards
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cell — in biology
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bass — low music
  24. hand — part of the body

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