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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: season · leaves · dip · tear · mouse · nail · coach · fall

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fall — the season
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. season — of the year
  11. tear — to rip
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tear — from crying
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. dip — to sink

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