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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fall — to drop
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cap — of ice
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rest — a break
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pass — a permit
  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