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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bear — the animal
  5. last — final
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. last — to go on
  10. rule — a law
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. bound — certain
  16. rule — government
  17. fall — the season
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. land — ground
  24. bound — tied together

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