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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. present — a gift
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. present — the time now
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fall — the season
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. saw — the tool
  19. present — there
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rock — a stone
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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