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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. cell — in biology
  12. current — happening now
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. rest — a break
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. vault — a safe
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rest — what's left
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pitch — completely

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