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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. roll — a list
  5. key — the most important part
  6. roll — a cake
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. board — a committee
  10. stand — to bear
  11. key — in music
  12. cold — an illness
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cold — not warm
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. board — to get on
  24. leaves — lets stay

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