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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. land — to come down
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. land — ground
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. land — a country
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pass — a permit
  15. key — the most important part
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. kid — child
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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