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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.

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: lean · pass · lie · cold · bat · spring · key · wake

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. key — in music
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. spring — of water
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. spring — the season
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lean — thin
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lean — to rest against

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