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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fall — the season
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pass — a permit
  9. last — to go on
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fine — all right
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fine — high quality
  22. last — finally
  23. row — a line
  24. last — final

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