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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pass — a permit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ground — the earth
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ground — crushed
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. fall — the season
  11. chip — for betting
  12. suit — to fit
  13. ground — a position
  14. wind — moving air
  15. can — a tin
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. suit — in cards
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fall — to drop
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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