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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fall — the season
  6. pop — music
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pop — soda
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fall — to drop
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fine — all right
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pop — to visit

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