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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fall — the season
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mate — a partner
  8. chest — a box
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. pass — a permit
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. dip — to sink
  22. lie — to recline
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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