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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. object — an aim
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. object — a thing
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. land — to come down
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. object — to protest
  19. land — ground
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. land — a country

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