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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. fall — the season
  10. saw — the tool
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. fall — to drop
  13. toast — bread
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bat — the animal
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. saw — the tool

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