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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — the fish
  3. tear — from crying
  4. season — in sport
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. tear — to rip
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ball — a great time
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. charge — in control
  14. tear — from crying
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. ball — a dance
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bass — low music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. charge — a price
  22. fall — the season
  23. season — of the year
  24. root — the cause

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