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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: saw · bulb · ground · key · last · pass · firm · leaves

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ground — a position
  4. bulb — for light
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. firm — a company
  7. pass — a permit
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ground — crushed
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. firm — decided
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ground — the earth
  24. firm — steady

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