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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fall — to drop
  3. tear — from crying
  4. firm — steady
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. track — to keep track
  7. tear — to rip
  8. fall — to drop
  9. firm — decided
  10. bound — obliged
  11. toast — bread
  12. chest — of your body
  13. track — a path
  14. bound — certain
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. fall — the season
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. track — a song
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chest — a box
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bound — tied together
  23. firm — a company
  24. tear — from crying

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