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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. object — an aim
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. roll — a list
  8. wind — moving air
  9. object — a thing
  10. tear — to rip
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. board — to get on
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rash — hasty
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. object — to protest
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — a committee
  19. stand — to bear
  20. roll — a cake
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rash — a series

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