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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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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pit — a hole
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wax — to grow
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rule — a law
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. leaves — lets stay

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