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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mate — a friend
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bass — the fish
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fall — to drop

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