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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. season — of the year
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rock — a stone
  9. spell — letters
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fall — the season
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rest — a break
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. row — a line
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. spell — magic
  24. season — in sport

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