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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. net — for catching
  4. rash — hasty
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pass — a permit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lean — thin
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rash — a series
  19. tear — from crying
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fall — to drop

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