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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: key · prune · mark · stand · field · hide · pass · arm

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. field — farmland
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. prune — to trim
  12. key — in music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. field — a subject
  20. stand — to bear
  21. field — for sport
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. key — the most important part
  24. hide — to keep secret

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