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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fall — to drop
  4. foot — a measure
  5. charge — in control
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fall — the season
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fall — to drop
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wake — a trail
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lean — thin
  23. charge — a price
  24. straw — dry grass

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