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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 120 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rock — music
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rock — a stone
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pass — a permit
  20. dip — to sink
  21. game — a match
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. arm — part of the body

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