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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: pass · content · fall · dip · kid · pit · spell · rock

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. dip — to sink
  3. spell — letters
  4. fall — the season
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kid — child
  9. content — the amount
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pass — a permit
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. content — happy
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spell — magic
  21. pit — a hole
  22. kid — to tease
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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