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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fall — the season
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fall — to drop
  6. season — of the year
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fall — to drop
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fine — all right
  14. lean — thin
  15. tear — from crying
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cue — a hint
  18. season — in sport
  19. tear — to rip
  20. cue — a signal
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fine — high quality

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