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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pass — a permit
  5. rule — government
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. mark — a trace
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. rule — a law
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mark — a grade
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. kid — child
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bay — a horse colour

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