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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fine — all right
  22. game — a match
  23. fall — the season
  24. game — wild animals

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