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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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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rock — music
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. dip — to sink
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rush — hurry

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