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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pass — a permit
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rock — a stone
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rock — music
  13. object — a thing
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. face — to confront
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. object — to protest
  21. face — part of the head
  22. saw — the tool
  23. object — an aim
  24. pass — to spend time

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