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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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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: tube · lie · present · pass · court · wave · net · fall

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fall — to drop
  6. tube — a container
  7. lie — to recline
  8. net — for catching
  9. present — there
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fall — the season
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. court — of a king
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. court — of law

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