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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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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 · cap · fall · content · field · firm · lie · bay

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. field — farmland
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fall — the season
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cap — a lid
  8. content — happy
  9. firm — decided
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. field — a subject
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. field — for sport
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fall — to drop
  20. content — the amount
  21. firm — a company
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lie — to recline
  24. firm — steady

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