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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. squash — to crush
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. staff — employees
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pass — a permit
  8. staff — employees
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. squash — the sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rule — a law
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rule — government
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. squash — the vegetable

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