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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rash — a series
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. season — of the year
  11. lean — to bend
  12. fine — all right
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. tube — the underground
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. deal — to handle
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tube — a container
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. rash — hasty

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