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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 116 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. tear — from crying
  6. season — in sport
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. tear — to rip
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. season — of the year
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. shower — rain
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bear — the animal

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