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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. board — a committee
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rock — music
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. fall — the season
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rock — a stone
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mate — a partner
  19. saw — the tool
  20. board — to get on
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mug — a face
  24. board — a flat piece

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