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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · pass · key · cold · rule · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. key — in music
  4. cold — not warm
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. present — a gift
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. present — the time now
  11. cold — an illness
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pass — a permit
  14. present — there
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rule — a law
  17. key — for a lock
  18. rule — government

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