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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 124 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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. craft — a skill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. craft — boats
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cap — of ice
  14. face — to confront
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fall — the season
  19. bound — certain
  20. mate — a partner
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cap — a hat
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cap — a lid

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