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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. chair — a leader
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pit — a hole
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rule — government
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mug — to rob
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. mug — a face
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rule — a law
  23. pit — in a race
  24. ruler — for measuring

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