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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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mate — a partner
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. can — a tin
  16. rule — government
  17. mate — to breed
  18. saw — the tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. saw — the tool
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mate — a friend
  24. straw — a straw man

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