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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rule — government
  3. pass — a permit
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rule — a law
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rash — a series
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rule — to rule out

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