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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mug — a face
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pass — a permit
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. present — there
  8. fine — all right
  9. wake — a trail
  10. present — a gift
  11. bark — to shout
  12. fall — to drop
  13. present — the time now
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fall — the season
  22. mug — a cup
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. patient — a sick person

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