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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mark — a trace
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wake — a trail
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mark — a grade
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chair — a leader
  23. foot — a measure
  24. hide — to keep secret

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