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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.

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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. last — finally
  3. rash — hasty
  4. last — final
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. lean — thin
  8. last — to go on
  9. suit — to fit
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fall — to drop
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tear — to rip
  14. snap — to click
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lean — to bend
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. tube — a container
  24. tear — from crying

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