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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. key — for a lock
  3. face — to confront
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mug — to rob
  7. face — part of the head
  8. key — the most important part
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. face — to point toward
  11. key — in music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mug — a cup
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bass — the fish
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hand — help
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — low music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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