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

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. club — a group
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stand — to bear
  10. tear — to rip
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. lean — thin
  14. cap — a hat
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. club — for golf
  17. fork — in a road
  18. club — for dancing

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