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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fall — to drop
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bound — obliged
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bulb — for light
  16. game — a match
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fall — the season
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bound — certain
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pass — to spend time

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