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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. spring — the season
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fall — the season
  12. chip — to eat
  13. suit — clothes
  14. spring — of water
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. ball — a dance
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ball — a great time
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pass — a permit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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