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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. can — to be able to
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. fine — high quality
  6. kid — child
  7. can — a tin
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fine — all right
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rest — a break
  16. game — a match
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. can — a tin
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rest — what's left
  24. kid — to tease

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