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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fall — to drop
  6. root — of a word
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mug — to rob
  9. root — the cause
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mug — a cup
  14. last — finally
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mug — a face
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fall — the season
  19. fine — all right
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. kick — in football

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