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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fall — the season
  7. land — ground
  8. pass — a permit
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. land — a country
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. lie — to recline
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fall — to drop
  16. plane — a tool
  17. band — a ring
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. land — to come down
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. band — a music group
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. lie — an untruth

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