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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stock — goods
  5. file — a tool
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. tear — from crying
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a document
  13. fall — the season
  14. season — of the year
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stock — shares
  22. season — in sport
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pass — to spend time

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