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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 120 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: bore · pass · spell · mine · fall · fine · court · pound

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pass — a permit
  3. spell — letters
  4. court — of law
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fine — all right
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. court — for sport
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. court — of a king
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fall — the season
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pound — a weight
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. spell — magic
  23. fall — to drop
  24. spell — a short time

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