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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rule — a law
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bank — for money
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mug — a face
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bank — for money
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bank — of a river
  18. charge — a price
  19. rule — government
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. mug — to rob

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