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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pop — music
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bound — obliged
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rule — government
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pop — soda
  24. rule — a law

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