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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · season · safe · tear · kick · fall

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. tear — from crying
  5. season — of the year
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fall — the season
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kick — in football
  10. fall — to drop
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. tear — to rip
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting

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