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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: bowl · chest · arm · pass · present · lie · key · pitcher

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. chest — a box
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. present — a gift
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. key — in music
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. lie — to recline

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