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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rule — government
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rule — a law
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — all right
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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