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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mug — a face
  9. content — happy
  10. march — music
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. drill — the tool
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rule — a law
  15. mug — to rob
  16. content — the amount
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. drill — army training
  19. rule — government
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. drill — a practice
  24. kick — in football

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