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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. date — the fruit
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. season — in sport
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chest — of your body
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chest — of your body
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. chest — a box
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fall — to drop
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fall — to drop
  17. scale — size or range
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fall — the season
  23. scale — in music
  24. season — of the year

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