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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 can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bank — for money
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lie — to recline
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bank — for money
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. capital — a city
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. rule — government
  23. tube — a container
  24. capital — money

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