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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. roll — a cake
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. clip — a video
  11. pit — in a race
  12. clip — to cut
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pop — soda
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pop — music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pop — to visit
  21. roll — a list
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. foot — a measure

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