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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pass — a permit
  3. shower — rain
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fall — to drop
  7. can — to be able to
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. scale — in music
  10. can — a tin
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mark — a trace
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fall — the season
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. can — a tin
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. shower — to wash
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fall — to drop

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