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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pop — to visit
  3. firm — decided
  4. wind — moving air
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — soda
  8. pass — a permit
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. can — a tin
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wind — moving air
  17. can — to be able to
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pop — music
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fall — the season
  24. pass — to spend time

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