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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.

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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. last — finally
  3. mate — a friend
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. charge — in control
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. charge — a price
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pass — a permit
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mate — to breed
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. last — final
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. charge — electricity
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mate — a partner
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. saw — the tool
  22. last — to go on
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pass — to spend time

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