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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fall — the season
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. staff — employees
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. fall — to drop
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. fall — to drop
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rule — government
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rule — a law
  16. mug — a face
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. snap — to click
  21. staff — employees
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pass — to succeed

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