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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chest — of your body
  9. tear — to rip
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mug — a cup
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chest — a box
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. pass — a permit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mark — a trace
  24. chest — of your body

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