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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fall — to drop
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. last — to go on
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. last — finally
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. fall — the season
  16. last — final
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spell — letters
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. spell — magic

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