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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. fall — to drop
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bound — tied together
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fall — the season
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. fall — to drop
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bound — obliged
  23. row — to paddle
  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