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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 124 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: key · dip · tube · hand · mine · bound · pass · nail

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. hand — help
  3. tube — a container
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bound — certain
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bound — tied together
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bound — obliged
  14. key — for a lock
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. hand — in cards
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tube — the underground
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. key — in music
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mine — for digging
  24. key — the most important part

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