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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · fall · pass · pit · capital · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. fall — the season
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cell — in biology
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. capital — a city
  18. hide — to keep secret

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