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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — low music
  3. squash — to crush
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fall — the season
  8. can — a tin
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. spring — the season
  13. race — humankind
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. race — a contest
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. spring — of water
  19. fall — to drop
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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