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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. rash — a series
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fork — in a road
  7. ground — a position
  8. cold — an illness
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. charge — electricity
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cold — not warm
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. ground — crushed
  15. staff — employees
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. charge — in control
  18. staff — employees
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. charge — a price
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. dip — to sink

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