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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: mug · snap · rule · pass · field · pit · cue · lash

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. snap — to click
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — farmland
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. field — for sport
  10. rule — government
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mug — a face
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mug — to rob
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rule — a law

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