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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.

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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pass — a permit
  4. snap — to click
  5. rule — a law
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. sharp — clever
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. kick — in football
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rule — government
  21. stand — to bear
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. charge — a price

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