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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.

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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cell — a phone
  8. key — in music
  9. kick — in football
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wind — moving air
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rule — government
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rash — a series
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rule — a law
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wind — to turn a key

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