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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. present — there
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wound — an injury
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. file — a document
  11. fall — the season
  12. rule — a law
  13. present — a gift
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rule — government
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. file — a tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. present — the time now

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