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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fall — the season
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. hand — help
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mouse — the animal

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