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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 116 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rule — government
  4. fine — high quality
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. rule — a law
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fine — all right

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