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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: pass · net · roll · fall · bay · pop · last · face

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. last — to go on
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. face — part of the head
  7. net — for catching
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. last — final
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. net — in sport
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. face — to confront
  16. net — after costs
  17. fall — the season
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. fall — to drop
  21. last — finally
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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