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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. season — in sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cold — not warm
  5. rule — government
  6. prune — to trim
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rule — a law
  14. season — of the year
  15. pass — a permit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cold — an illness
  18. fall — the season
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lie — an untruth

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