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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rest — what's left
  3. staff — a stick
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fall — to drop
  7. object — to protest
  8. fall — the season
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. staff — employees
  11. object — a thing
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. object — an aim
  14. rest — what's left
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fall — to drop
  17. vault — a safe
  18. squash — to crush
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. staff — employees
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rest — a break
  24. kick — in football

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