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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rule — government
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mate — a partner
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mate — a friend
  10. snap — to click
  11. face — to confront
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. face — to point toward
  15. scale — in music
  16. pop — music
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pop — soda
  20. face — part of the head
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rule — a law
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mate — to breed

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