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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 124 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mug — a cup
  3. hand — help
  4. mug — to rob
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. can — to be able to
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. fall — the season
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mug — a face
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. can — a tin
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fork — in a road

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