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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pass — a permit
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. game — a match
  12. season — of the year
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fall — the season
  23. season — in sport
  24. rock — music

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