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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.

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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: key · cabinet · pass · board · rush · sharp · cold · kick

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cold — an illness
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. board — to get on
  9. cold — not warm
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. key — the most important part
  17. board — a committee
  18. rush — hurry
  19. kick — in football
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pass — to succeed

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