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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. swing — to play on
  3. firm — steady
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pass — a permit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. swing — music
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. firm — a company
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. march — the month
  14. key — in music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. key — the most important part
  17. prune — to trim
  18. firm — decided
  19. march — the month
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. march — music
  24. lie — an untruth

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