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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rock — music
  8. season — of the year
  9. rest — a break
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wound — an injury
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. rock — a stone
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pass — a permit
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. rest — what's left

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