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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mate — a friend
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. shower — to wash
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. kick — in football
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. staff — employees
  12. rule — a law
  13. race — a contest
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. staff — a stick
  16. rule — government
  17. staff — employees
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. shower — rain
  24. roll — a cake

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