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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fall — the season
  4. row — to paddle
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bear — the animal
  9. shower — rain
  10. fall — to drop
  11. row — a line
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fall — to drop
  19. season — of the year
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. shower — to wash

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