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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. tube — a container
  3. kick — in football
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. capital — money
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. capital — a city
  10. rash — a series
  11. hand — help
  12. court — of a king
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. court — of law
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rash — hasty
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. court — for sport
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. capital — a big letter

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