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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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. shower — rain
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pass — a permit
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rest — what's left
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. wound — an injury
  12. vault — a safe
  13. key — in music
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rest — what's left
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rest — a break
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bat — the animal
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bat — for baseball

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