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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pass — a permit
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. suit — to fit
  8. content — the amount
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rash — hasty
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. content — happy
  18. key — in music
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. rash — a series

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