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

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. net — after costs
  3. charge — electricity
  4. net — for catching
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cue — a hint
  14. charge — in control
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. charge — a price
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. net — in sport

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