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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. band — a music group
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fall — to drop
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. band — a ring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — to sink
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fall — the season
  21. perch — the fish
  22. fall — to drop
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. perch — for a bird

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