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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 120 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cold — an illness
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. shower — to wash
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. pass — a permit
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mate — a friend
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. shower — rain
  22. cold — not warm
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. fall — the season

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