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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stand — to bear
  8. band — a music group
  9. lean — to bend
  10. last — final
  11. staff — employees
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bulb — for light
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. last — finally
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lean — thin
  19. last — to go on
  20. cap — a hat
  21. band — a ring
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bulb — for light

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