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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. saw — the tool
  5. key — for a lock
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. last — final
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. last — finally
  10. date — the fruit
  11. key — the most important part
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. roll — a cake
  17. key — in music
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. last — to go on
  21. roll — a list
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pass — to succeed

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