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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 don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rule — government
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pass — a permit
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. ground — the earth
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. roll — a list
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. row — a line
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. row — to paddle
  19. can — a tin
  20. rule — a law
  21. roll — a cake
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pass — to succeed

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