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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rush — hurry
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fall — the season
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. kid — child
  18. scale — in music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lie — to recline
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. lie — an untruth

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