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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 120 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. fall — to drop
  4. staff — employees
  5. charge — in control
  6. fall — to drop
  7. charge — a price
  8. net — after costs
  9. pass — a permit
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fall — the season
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rock — a stone
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. charge — electricity
  19. chest — of your body
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. chest — a box
  23. rock — music
  24. chest — of your body

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