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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fall — to drop
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. present — a gift

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