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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mark — a grade
  6. charge — a price
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fall — the season
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mug — a face
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bear — the animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bass — low 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