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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fall — to drop
  4. swing — music
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mark — a trace
  13. race — a contest
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rash — a series
  17. race — humankind
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fall — to drop
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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