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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pit — a hole
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. snap — to click
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. kick — in football

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