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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 120 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. face — to confront
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. key — in music
  11. face — part of the head
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. chest — a box
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ball — a great time
  17. band — a music group
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. face — to point toward
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pass — a permit

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