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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.

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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: lie · key · mug · hide · mark · pass · stick · charge

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. charge — electricity
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mark — a trace
  8. key — in music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. charge — a price
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mug — a face
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mug — a cup
  19. charge — in control
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mug — to rob
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mark — a grade
  24. hide — to keep secret

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