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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fall — the season
  4. toast — bread
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mark — a grade
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. saw — the tool
  20. branch — a division
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. cap — of ice
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pass — to spend time

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