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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 120 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. key — the most important part
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fall — to drop
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fall — to drop
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bass — low music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fall — the season
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bass — the fish

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