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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fall — the season
  4. craft — a skill
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. tube — a container
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. craft — boats
  16. fall — to drop
  17. roll — a list
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. roll — a cake
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pass — a permit

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