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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fall — the season
  11. march — the month
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. key — the most important part
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rule — a law
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rule — government
  21. key — in music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mate — a partner
  24. key — for a lock

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