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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — to come down
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fall — the season
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. face — to confront
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pass — a permit

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