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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. pass — a permit
  3. staff — employees
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. clip — a video
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. staff — employees
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. chip — for betting
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rule — government
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mark — a grade
  19. clip — for paper
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. rule — a law
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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