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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: bay · hand · kid · key · pass · trunk · ruler · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. kid — child
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fine — high quality
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. key — in music
  20. key — the most important part
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. hand — help
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. kid — to tease

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