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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fall — the season
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. clip — a video
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. clip — for paper
  10. spell — letters
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. lie — to recline
  14. spell — magic
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fall — to drop
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pitch — completely

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