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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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. swing — to play on
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rule — a law
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rush — hurry
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. swing — in golf
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. swing — music
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. present — the time now
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rule — government
  20. present — a gift
  21. saw — the tool
  22. present — there
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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