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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. key — the most important part
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. key — for a lock
  6. prune — to trim
  7. season — of the year
  8. hand — in cards
  9. key — in music
  10. dip — to sink
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. season — in sport
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. hand — help
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. lash — an eyelash

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