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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rash — a series
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. snap — to click
  13. rule — government
  14. drill — a practice
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. drill — army training
  17. rule — a law
  18. pass — a permit
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. roll — a cake
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rash — on the skin

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