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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. tube — the underground
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. firm — a company
  6. mine — for digging
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pass — a permit
  9. net — after costs
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. tube — a container
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. net — in sport
  16. firm — steady
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. firm — decided
  20. staff — employees
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fall — the season
  23. net — for catching
  24. wave — of the sea

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