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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rash — a series
  4. fall — to drop
  5. club — for dancing
  6. fine — high quality
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. fine — all right
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fall — the season
  17. tear — to rip
  18. club — a group
  19. board — a committee
  20. club — for golf
  21. fall — to drop
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. rash — on the skin

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