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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: snap · face · pass · land · roll · race · rest · ruler

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. land — ground
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. roll — a list
  7. rest — a break
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rest — what's left
  10. snap — to click
  11. land — to come down
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. roll — a cake
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. land — a country
  24. face — to confront

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