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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: lie · pass · can · straw · bass · wake · mug · key

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. key — in music
  4. bass — low music
  5. can — a tin
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bass — the fish
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. can — to be able to
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. key — the most important part
  24. straw — dry grass

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