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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. current — happening now
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bound — tied together
  7. present — there
  8. fall — to drop
  9. current — of water
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. present — a gift
  13. bat — the animal
  14. season — in sport
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. current — electric
  20. present — the time now
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. season — of the year
  23. fall — the season
  24. bound — certain

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