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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pit — a hole
  4. content — happy
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. charge — a price
  9. content — the amount
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. hand — help
  13. kick — in football
  14. charge — in control
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pit — in a race
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — a list
  24. hand — in cards

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