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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mine — for digging
  4. ground — a position
  5. rule — government
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rule — a law
  8. staff — employees
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ground — crushed
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. roll — a list
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. roll — a cake

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