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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. fall — the season
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pass — a permit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stand — to bear
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. craft — boats
  24. fine — all right

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