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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. fall — to drop
  4. current — of water
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pass — a permit
  7. season — of the year
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. fall — to drop
  12. current — electric
  13. season — in sport
  14. cap — of ice
  15. current — happening now
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rule — a law
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wind — moving air
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. fall — the season

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