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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: leaves · mate · pass · stand · kid · jam · rule · arm

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rule — government
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mate — to breed
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. kid — child
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rule — a law
  16. pass — a permit
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. arm — part of the body

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