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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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 — the season
  3. mark — a trace
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. ball — a great time
  7. season — of the year
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rash — a series
  10. mark — a grade
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pit — a hole
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fall — to drop
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pit — in a race
  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