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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. season — of the year
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. season — in sport
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fall — to drop
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. stock — shares
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fall — the season
  18. stock — goods

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