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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · dip · spring · object · stick · key · pass · chair

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spring — a coil
  7. chair — a leader
  8. key — the most important part
  9. prune — to trim
  10. spring — the season
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. key — in music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. dip — to sink
  19. spring — of water
  20. object — to protest
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pass — a permit

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