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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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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: vault · mate · pass · key · deal · stand · cold · saw

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mate — a friend
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cold — not warm
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cold — an illness
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. key — in music
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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