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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. file — a line of people
  3. march — music
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fall — to drop
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bank — for money
  9. file — a tool
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bound — certain
  14. march — the month
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fall — the season
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. file — a document
  21. dip — to sink
  22. march — the month
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pass — a permit

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