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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · key · object · sharp · coach · pass · chest · cell

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. key — in music
  3. object — an aim
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. key — for a lock
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. key — the most important part
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rash — a series
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cell — in biology
  20. chest — a box
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cell — a phone
  23. object — to protest
  24. pass — a permit

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