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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. mine — for digging
  8. season — of the year
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rule — government
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fall — the season
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rule — a law
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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