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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. band — a music group
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fall — to drop
  6. band — a ring
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. row — to paddle
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fine — high quality
  12. season — in sport
  13. fall — the season
  14. fine — all right
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — electricity
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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