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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rush — hurry
  3. charge — a price
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pass — a permit
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. drill — a practice
  11. squash — to crush
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rule — a law
  14. squash — the sport
  15. charge — in control
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rule — government
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. branch — a division
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rush — to hurry

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