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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stand — to bear
  6. snap — to click
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rest — a break
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. cell — a phone
  11. hand — in cards
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rest — what's left
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. hand — help

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