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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cold — not warm
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chip — to eat
  8. current — happening now
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cold — an illness
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. current — of water
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fall — the season
  20. current — electric
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cold — the Cold War

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