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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. present — a gift
  3. tear — to rip
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. race — the arms race
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fall — to drop
  9. season — of the year
  10. tear — from crying
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a ring
  13. season — in sport
  14. race — humankind
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. present — the time now
  17. tear — from crying
  18. present — there
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. race — a contest
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. band — a music group

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