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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. field — farmland
  3. last — to go on
  4. rest — a break
  5. key — in music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. last — finally
  8. key — for a lock
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. fall — the season
  11. rest — what's left
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pass — a permit
  14. field — for sport
  15. pop — music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pop — soda
  18. last — final
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. field — a subject
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fall — to drop

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