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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rule — a law
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. net — for catching
  7. snap — to click
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. perch — the fish
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pass — a permit
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. staff — employees
  24. rule — government

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