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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. march — the month
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. charge — in control
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bore — to tire
  11. saw — the tool
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. march — the month
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. charge — a price
  17. march — music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bore — to drill
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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