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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. net — after costs
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. march — music
  5. suit — clothes
  6. file — a document
  7. can — a tin
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pass — a permit
  12. fall — the season
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. march — the month
  15. net — in sport
  16. can — a tin
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. net — for catching
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. march — the month
  22. can — to be able to
  23. file — a tool
  24. fall — to drop

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