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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. mine — for digging
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rule — government
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rule — a law
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. snap — to click

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