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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rash — a series
  3. tear — to rip
  4. suit — clothes
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. tear — from crying
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. field — for sport
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. present — a gift
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rash — hasty
  18. tear — from crying
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. field — farmland
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. fine — all right
  24. field — a subject

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