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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. face — part of the head
  3. kid — child
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. suit — clothes
  6. kid — to tease
  7. suit — to fit
  8. season — of the year
  9. face — to confront
  10. tear — from crying
  11. track — a song
  12. tear — to rip
  13. track — a path
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fine — all right
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fall — the season
  19. fine — high quality
  20. suit — in cards
  21. track — to keep track
  22. fall — to drop
  23. season — in sport
  24. tear — from crying

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