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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rash — a series
  5. season — of the year
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chip — for betting
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. season — in sport
  15. fork — in a road
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. tear — to rip
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rash — hasty
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. fork — to eat with

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