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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: tear · sharp · rest · suit · fall · lash · swing · foot

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. fall — to drop
  4. swing — in golf
  5. tear — from crying
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rest — what's left
  8. suit — in cards
  9. swing — to play on
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rest — a break
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. foot — a measure
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. tear — from crying
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. swing — music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fall — the season
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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