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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. shower — rain
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rush — hurry
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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