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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. suit — to fit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rule — government
  5. last — final
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pass — a permit
  9. last — to go on
  10. suit — clothes
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. firm — a company
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rule — a law
  17. squash — the sport
  18. suit — in cards
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. last — finally
  21. firm — steady
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. firm — decided
  24. squash — to crush

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