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

Word bank: fine · chest · season · rule · pass · lie · mate · wind

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rule — government
  5. fine — high quality
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fine — all right
  15. rule — a law
  16. season — of the year
  17. lie — to recline
  18. season — in sport
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. chest — of your body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mate — a partner

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