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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. season — of the year
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rule — a law
  6. pass — a permit
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. squash — to crush
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. face — to confront
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. content — happy
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. content — the amount
  20. rule — government
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. squash — the sport
  24. season — in sport

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