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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. charge — a price
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. lean — thin
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. lean — to bend
  9. roll — a list
  10. charge — in control
  11. roll — a cake
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rule — a law
  18. kick — in football
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bound — certain
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rule — government
  24. roll — on a roll

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