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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rule — a law
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rule — government
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fall — the season
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. scale — in music
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. rule — to rule out

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