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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. suit — clothes
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. perch — the fish
  10. suit — in cards
  11. mine — for digging
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. pass — a permit
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. suit — to fit
  24. ruler — for measuring

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