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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fall — the season
  3. land — to come down
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. land — ground
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wound — an injury
  14. land — a country
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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