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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: field · mug · lie · pitcher · fall · bear · pass · charge

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pass — a permit
  3. charge — in control
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. field — for sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. field — farmland
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. field — a subject
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mug — a face
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. charge — a price
  22. fall — the season
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bear — to put up with

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