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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. last — to go on
  3. pass — a permit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mine — for digging
  6. last — final
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pop — music
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pop — soda
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rock — music
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. last — finally

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