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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. march — the month
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fall — the season
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. march — the month
  16. shower — rain
  17. march — music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. craft — boats
  24. bat — the animal

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