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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. court — of a king
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. swing — music
  7. pass — a permit
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rule — a law
  10. court — of law
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bound — obliged
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. foot — a measure
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rule — government
  19. snap — to click
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bound — certain
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. court — for sport

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