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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 that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mug — a cup
  6. track — a path
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. fall — the season
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mine — for digging
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. scale — size or range
  22. track — a song
  23. scale — in music
  24. pass — to succeed

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