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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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rule — a law
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cue — for pool
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. staff — employees
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. staff — a stick
  13. rule — government
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bound — certain
  17. kick — in football
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cue — a signal
  24. kick — with a leg

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