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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cell — a phone
  4. club — a group
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. club — for golf
  16. band — a music group
  17. pass — a permit
  18. band — a ring
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fall — the season

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