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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. sharp — clever
  5. present — there
  6. rash — hasty
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pop — music
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rule — government
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rule — a law
  14. rash — a series
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. shower — rain
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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