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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. wake — a trail
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rule — a law
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cue — a hint
  9. band — a music group
  10. cue — a signal
  11. craft — boats
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lean — to bend
  15. craft — a skill
  16. lean — thin
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a ring
  19. pass — a permit
  20. rule — government
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  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