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

Word bank: drill · wake · bat · fall · pit · bound · rule · pass

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rule — a law
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pit — a hole
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rule — government
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fall — to drop
  16. drill — army training
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fall — to drop

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