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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. capital — a city
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rule — a law
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pass — a permit
  13. capital — money
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. snap — to click
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pop — soda
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pop — music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pop — to visit

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