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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. chest — a box
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rash — a series
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fork — in a road
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. shower — rain
  10. chest — of your body
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. capital — money
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rash — hasty
  19. chest — of your body
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. capital — a city
  24. key — in music

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