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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fall — to drop
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. fall — to drop
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. mate — a partner
  11. board — to get on
  12. saw — the tool
  13. board — a committee
  14. mate — to breed
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. face — to confront
  18. fall — the season

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