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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: fine · lie · coach · pass · land · cell · tube · fall

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lie — to recline
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. land — ground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fine — all right
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cell — in biology
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tube — the underground
  19. land — to come down
  20. tube — a container
  21. land — a country
  22. fall — the season
  23. cell — a phone
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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