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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rash — a series
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lean — thin
  16. pass — a permit
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. key — for a lock

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