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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. key — in music
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cue — for pool
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lean — thin
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wake — a trail
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cue — a hint

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