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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tear — from crying
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rest — a break
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bark — to shout
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. tear — to rip
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chest — a box
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. suit — to fit
  21. season — in sport
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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