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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · mine · hand · fall · stick · cold · pop · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. fall — the season
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cold — an illness
  8. charge — a price
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. cold — not warm
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. charge — electricity
  22. hand — help
  23. charge — in control
  24. mine — for digging

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