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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 116 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. cell — a phone
  3. spell — magic
  4. fall — the season
  5. season — of the year
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. season — in sport
  13. spell — a short time
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pitch — completely
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. spell — letters
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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