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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 116 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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. branch — a division
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. court — of law
  7. rash — hasty
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. court — of a king
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fall — to drop
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. fall — the season
  22. court — for sport
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mine — an explosive

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