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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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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: rest · bound · last · key · safe · court · drill · pass

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. last — finally
  4. key — the most important part
  5. drill — army training
  6. bound — tied together
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. drill — a practice
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bound — obliged
  11. last — final
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bound — certain
  14. rest — what's left
  15. court — for sport
  16. key — in music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. court — of a king
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. last — to go on
  21. rest — a break
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rest — what's left
  24. court — of law

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