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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. plane — a tool
  4. drill — the tool
  5. cell — a phone
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. snap — to click
  9. drill — army training
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rule — government
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. rule — a law
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rest — a break
  24. cell — in biology

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