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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. object — to protest
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pass — a permit
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. fall — the season
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pass — to succeed

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