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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. object — to protest
  3. fall — the season
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. object — a thing
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. object — an aim
  16. bass — low music
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. prune — to trim
  23. march — the month
  24. bass — the fish

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