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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chair — a leader
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rash — a series
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fine — all right
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bear — the animal

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