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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pass — a permit
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. last — final
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. row — a line
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. last — to go on
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. chair — a leader
  18. foot — a measure
  19. last — finally
  20. squash — the sport
  21. row — to paddle
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rule — to rule out

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