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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. roll — a list
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. season — in sport
  5. fall — to drop
  6. net — for catching
  7. toast — bread
  8. roll — a cake
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. row — a line
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. net — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. net — after costs
  15. fall — the season
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. sharp — clever
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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