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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. fall — the season
  10. charge — a price
  11. cell — a phone
  12. charge — in control
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. bass — low music
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. season — in sport
  21. pass — a permit
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cap — of ice

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