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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · mate · squash · pass · sharp · rule · last · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rule — a law
  6. mug — a face
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. squash — the sport
  12. last — to go on
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. last — final
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mate — a friend
  20. last — finally
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rule — government
  24. pass — to succeed

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