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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pass — a permit
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bore — to drill
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. face — to confront
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bore — to tire
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. face — to point toward
  22. capital — a city
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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