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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rash — a series
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. rule — government
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mate — a partner
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rule — a law
  24. march — the month

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