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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mug — a face
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mug — to rob
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cold — an illness
  10. rule — government
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rest — a break
  13. season — of the year
  14. cold — not warm
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mug — a cup
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. season — in sport
  24. rest — what's left

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