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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ground — a position
  5. fall — to drop
  6. can — a tin
  7. tube — the underground
  8. charge — a price
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. charge — electricity
  11. tube — a container
  12. court — for sport
  13. ground — the earth
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. ground — crushed
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pass — a permit
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. can — a tin
  24. charge — in control

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