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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. 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. fall — to drop
  2. branch — a division
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. current — of water
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. current — electric
  9. last — final
  10. fall — to drop
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pass — a permit
  14. last — finally
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pop — music
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. last — to go on
  20. pop — soda
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. current — happening now
  24. 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