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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pop — music
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pop — soda
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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