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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. mug — to rob
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fall — the season
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. row — to paddle
  11. band — a ring
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cell — a phone
  14. mug — a face
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. band — a music group
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. mug — a cup
  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