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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fall — the season
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cap — a lid
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. tear — to rip
  16. clip — for paper
  17. cap — of ice
  18. tear — from crying
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. clip — a video
  22. tear — from crying
  23. clip — to cut
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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