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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fall — the season
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. rest — a break
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rest — what's left
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — a safe
  13. season — of the year
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fine — all right
  17. rest — what's left
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wake — a trail
  24. fan — to cool the air

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