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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. can — a tin
  4. snap — to click
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. tear — from crying
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. tear — from crying
  14. can — a tin
  15. cap — a lid
  16. tear — to rip
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. roll — a list
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cap — of ice
  24. charge — electricity

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