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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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. fine — a penalty
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fall — to drop
  7. tear — to rip
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bass — low music
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. date — the fruit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bass — the fish
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rash — a series
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. arm — part of the body

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