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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: firm · key · wake · pound · rock · hand · row · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. key — the most important part
  10. rock — music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. firm — steady
  13. pound — a weight
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. hand — help
  16. firm — decided
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. row — to paddle
  19. wake — a trail
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. row — a line
  23. firm — a company
  24. pass — to spend time

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