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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. hand — help
  9. can — a tin
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pass — a permit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. dip — to sink
  21. can — to be able to
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. can — a tin

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