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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 116 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cold — an illness
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cold — not warm
  9. rule — a law
  10. land — a country
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rule — government
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pass — a permit
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bank — for money
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. land — ground
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bank — for money
  22. kid — child
  23. land — to come down
  24. pass — to succeed

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