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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: lash · lie · chair · key · pass · pitch · object · bound

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bound — tied together
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bound — certain
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bound — obliged
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. object — a thing
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pitch — completely
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pitch — a sports field

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