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

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fall — the season
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. charge — in control
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cold — not warm
  10. fall — to drop
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cold — an illness
  13. charge — a price
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. ball — a dance

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