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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pass — a permit
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. fall — the season
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bulb — for light
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bulb — for light
  13. root — of a word
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mark — a grade
  24. root — the cause

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