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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. last — finally
  6. stand — to bear
  7. shower — to wash
  8. land — to come down
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. key — the most important part
  11. roll — a cake
  12. land — ground
  13. last — final
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. shower — rain
  19. last — to go on
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. land — a country
  23. roll — a list
  24. bulb — for light

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