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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: rash · tear · can · chest · mine · season · leaves · arm

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. chest — a box
  5. mine — for digging
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rash — a series
  13. tear — from crying
  14. can — a tin
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. can — a tin
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rash — hasty
  20. season — of the year
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. season — in sport
  23. leaves — to go away
  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