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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: dip · pass · rule · rash · face · sharp · march · mate

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rule — government
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mate — a friend
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. face — to confront
  12. mate — to breed
  13. march — the month
  14. face — to point toward
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rash — a series
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. mate — a partner
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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