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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pass — a permit
  5. last — to go on
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. present — there
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. present — a gift
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. last — finally
  13. bass — low music
  14. fall — the season
  15. present — the time now
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pound — a weight
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pass — to succeed
  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