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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spell — magic
  5. charge — a price
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. fall — to drop
  8. charge — in control
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. tear — to rip
  13. spell — a short time
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pass — a permit
  16. tear — from crying
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fall — to drop
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. fall — the season
  23. tear — from crying
  24. spell — letters

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