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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. fall — to drop
  6. perch — the fish
  7. season — of the year
  8. tear — from crying
  9. scale — in music
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. tear — from crying
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fall — the season
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. scale — size or range
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. tear — to rip
  21. fall — to drop
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mark — a grade

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