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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: present · kick · rule · ground · suit · pass · snap · last

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rule — a law
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. last — to go on
  10. ground — a position
  11. last — finally
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. suit — in cards
  16. present — a gift
  17. rule — government
  18. present — the time now
  19. snap — to click
  20. kick — in football
  21. present — there
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. last — final

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