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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 116 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. tube — the underground
  4. kid — to tease
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rash — hasty
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stand — to bear
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. season — of the year
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. tube — a container
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. kid — child
  22. season — in sport
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. tear — to rip

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