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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pound — a weight
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. chair — a leader
  18. kick — in football
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. lie — to recline

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