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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bound — obliged
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. board — a committee
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. spell — magic
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pass — a permit
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. board — to get on
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bound — certain
  22. fall — the season
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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