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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 120 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: suit · saw · rule · mug · season · safe · pass · kid

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rule — a law
  5. mug — a face
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pass — a permit
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mug — a cup
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kid — child
  13. season — of the year
  14. suit — in cards
  15. kid — to tease
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. suit — to fit
  20. season — in sport
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. suit — clothes
  24. saw — the tool

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