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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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Word bank
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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: rush · bear · wake · tube · staff · pass · key · track

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. tube — a container
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. staff — employees
  14. pass — a permit
  15. track — a song
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rush — hurry
  21. key — in music
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — for a lock
  24. track — a path

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