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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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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: capital · fall · hide · pass · drill · can · stick · present

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. 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. can — a tin
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fall — to drop
  4. drill — the tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. drill — army training
  9. fall — to drop
  10. can — to be able to
  11. present — the time now
  12. fall — the season
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. capital — money
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. capital — a city
  20. pass — a permit
  21. drill — a practice
  22. can — a tin
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. 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